1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to lawn accessories extruded from a dense silicone rubber. More particularly, the invention relates to an extension for a gutter downspout for diverting the flow of rainwater away from a building's foundation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gutters have long been used to divert the flow of water, such as rain water or snow melt, off of the roof of a structure. Typically, gutters direct the flow of water to one or more downspouts, which themselves direct the flow of water away from the base of the building. Generally, the downspout directs the flow of water towards a splash block or other means of channeling the flow of water away from the base of the building. Often it is desirable to direct the flow of water farther from the base of the building. To this end, various extensions have been developed in the art. For instance, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2011/0173897, published on Jul. 21, 2011, for Schneider, entitled Apparatus and Method for Protecting a Downspout of a Gutter, discloses a cover, made from a flexible/elastic material, for protecting the end of a gutter downspout. Additionally, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2012/0125465, published on May 24, 2012, for Bell et al. discloses a low-profile, water diverting, downspout extension. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,837, issued to Smith on Apr. 8, 2014, and initially published on Dec. 10, 2009, discloses a flexible downspout extension. Many of the existing downspout extensions are produced from a complex molding process to produce a bellows-type profile that allows for bending and provides some structural rigidity. And, this bellows configuration produces a series of alternating internal ribs and channels that can trap debris, impeding the flow of water there thru, and allow water to freeze in these channels. Further, many are produced from plastic materials that are susceptible to being broken or cut by impact with lawn care equipment, for example these materials are susceptible to being cut by typical filament line weed-trimming equipment. Further, these materials are susceptible to becoming brittle upon exposure to sub-freezing temperatures creating an appreciable risk of shattering if the extension is stepped on or driven over by a piece of equipment or other type of vehicle.
What is missing in the art is a gutter downspout extension that is made of a dense silicone rubber material that resists being cut by filament line weed trimmers, that is resistant to becoming brittle in sub-freezing temperatures, and that can be simply extruded into a desired shape.